Navigating Policy and Practice in the Great Recession

Stacey Borasky and Miguel Ferguson have crafted a treat for social work students. Following the story of Martha White, a fictional agency executive during and after the Great Recession, they introduce a wealth of content on nonprofit management, interprofessional practice, social work ethics, and social policy. Peppered with references to historical events, important policies, and shifting political landscapes, Navigating Policy and Practice in the Great Recession seamlessly crosses the micro-macro divide by illustrating, in human terms, the impact of social and economic decision-making on ordinary clients. Its an engaging testament to the versatility of the social work profession one that students wont want to miss! * Sunny Harris Rome, MSW, JD, Professor of Social Work, George Mason University *
Ferguson and Borasky have done it again. With a compelling storyline and characters that any social worker can identify with, they capture the distinctive realities and challenges of social work practice today. While most social work practice and policy books take a theoretical approach to policy practice, the authors thrust the reader into the day-to-day experiences and dilemmas that social workers face and bring the policy realities to life. This book is a must-read for social workers and educators. This is sure to generate some critical thinking and debate in the classroom. I look forward to using it with my students for years to come. * Adam G. McCormick, PhD, MSSW, Assistant Professor of Social Work, St. Edwards University *
Set amidst the backdrop of the 2008 economic collapse and its devastating impact on communities and social service agencies, Navigating Policy and Practice in the Great Recession provides a nuanced street-level study of macro practice and organizational management. Based on a composite (and fictional) community-based organization, readers follow its Executive Director, Martha White, as she faces real world problems of housing foreclosures, corruption, budgets cuts, and a non-profit agency asked to do more with less. Highly readable and relevant, with a range of teaching resources, this book offers instructors and students useful tools to understand and refine skills in advocacy, policy practice, and macro social work. Recommended for both graduate and undergraduate courses. * Scott Harding, PhD, Associate Professor and Co-Director, PhD Program, School of Social Work, University of Connecticut *
Having been in both positions executive director of a community action agency and social work professor at several universities I recognize at once truths revealed in the day-to-day realities of this book: at the intersection between social policy, and nonprofit management, and the subsequent impact on people we work with and on our neighbors and friends. Then, too, I recognize the challenges of teaching these realities to social work students, as Borasky and Ferguson obviously do so well. * Dennis L. Poole, PhD, MSW, Professor, College of Social Work, The University of South Carolina at Columbia *